Musical instrument



2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

J. DODD. y MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Oct. 9, 18u94.

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J.D0DD.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No.527g269. Patented oat 9,1894.

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l www@ UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES DODD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,269, dated October9, 1894.

Application flled January 30, 1894. Serial No. 49 8,436- (No model.)

T0 all whom it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES DODD, of Boston, in the county of Suolk andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Musical Instruments, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby amusical instrument of the nature of a piano or organ can be played by anovice, and I accomplish this object by arranging a series of parallelelongated controlling devices to register with characters on a guidingchart or sheet, such, for example, as the guide-line sheet music shownin Patent No. 452,995, granted to me May 26, 1891, and having suchrelation to the sound-'producing agencies of the instrument that theymay serve as guides for putting the same in action, and may bemanipulated to produce action of said sound-producing devices.

The accompanying drawings show difterent constructions embodying theinvention.

Figure 1 shows a top plan View of one form of instrument in which theinvention may be embodied. Fig. 2 shows a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l.Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of another form ofinstrument embodying the invention. Fig. l shows a vertical section ofanother modification.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2, the letter a designates a box whichincloses a sounding-board and a suitably constructed pianoaction; and bdesignates a key-board extending from the front of said box and adaptedto receive and hold the sheet music, c, in proper position. The letter ddesignates the sounding-board, which supports sonorous bars d in asuitable manner; e, hammers, which are pivotally attached to the underside of the board cl, and are adapted to strike the bars d and producesounds therefrom; f, a Wire or cord against 4which the hammers strike,and which limits their upward movement and causes them to rebound fromthe bars; and g, levers or hoppers, which are fulcrumed on a bar g atthe bottom of the box a, and

extend under the hammers on one side of the fulcrums, where they areprovided with projections g2 to act against the hammers. Said levers orhoppers g also extend on the opposite or front side of their fulcrums. Aseries of parallel bars, shown as round rods or wires h, correspondingin number with the sonorous bars, is loosely supported in the t'rontside h of the key-board or box b, and these rods extend through anopening h2 into the box a, where they are formed with downturned endsbearing on the levers or hoppers g on the front side of their pivots.The guide-line sheet music is placed on the keyboard, and theparallel-lines on which the notes appear are made to register with therods vh. By depressing the rods, it will be seen that the hammers areactuated, and the guide-lines direct the performer as to the order inwhich the rods are to be operated to produce the tune desired.

In Fig. 3, an instrument of the above character is shown embodied in theform of. an upright piano, and i designates the box which incloses theaction, j designates keys, operatively connected with the latter andadapted to be depressed by the performer, la designates an inclined rackabove said keys and adapted to hold the sheet music, and 'm des` ignatesparallel rods or wires pivotally supported at their upper ends in astrip o, and loosely connected at their lower ends with the keys j,extending through openings therein, so that the keys may slide on therods.

The performer is guided in operating on the keys by the registration ofthe rods m, with the sheet music.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the actuating rods, as 1o, arearranged substantially upright, about as the rods m appear in Fig. 3,their upper ends being loosely supported in the top bar of a frame p.The guide-line music sheets 2 are slipped between strips, p2, fastenedto said frame at each side, and they rest upon a bar, p3, extendingalong the bottom of the frame. The sounding board, q, is supported inhorizontal position back ot the music sheets, and the hammers, q', whichact against the sonorous bars, q2, are attached to bell-crank levers,g3, pivoted in slots formed in the bar 193. Said levers are providedwith forward-projecting lugs, g4, and the rods, p, engage said lugs sothat upon pushing a rod, p, toward the sheet music, the bell-crank leverwill be actuated, and the hammer attached thereto caused to strike thesonorous bar.

While I have shown arrangements employing rods for actuating theactions, yet flexi- IOO ble cords or strings might be used with equaleect, such cords or strings being operatively connected with theactions.

The invention is not limited to piano-actions but may be applied to reedinstruments, the actuating rods or wires being operatively connectedwith valves controlling the aircurrents.

Itis obvious that each rod or wire might be connected with two or morenote-producing agencies so as to control chords.

It will be seen that by my invention an instrument is adapted for theuse of unskilled performers. Besides affording considerableentertainment, the invention is calculated to educate the novice inlearning the notes.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use ofguide-line sheet music, but any suitablyl marked chart or sheet may beemployed having characters with which the bars may register.

The character of the elongated controllingr devices may vary greatly,and the invention is not limited to any particular form. It is desirablethat they extend parallel with each other, and that sufficient space beallowed between them to clearly disclose the chart or sheet behind them.The bars may, however, radiate, and such an arrangement might be foundconvenient in some instances.

In order to enable the novice to strike chords, the different bars orrods may be suitably designated, as for example by coloring the bars ofone chord, as 1, 3, 5, and 8, one olor; the bars of another chord, as 1,4, 6, and 8, another color; and the bars of another chord, as 2, 4, 5,and 7,a still dierent color, these being the principal chords. In thedrawings, Fig. 1, the chords are designated by representing rods 1, 3,5, and 8 as black for a short distance at the inner end, rods 1, 4, 6,and 8 as black for a short distance at the outer end, and rods 2, 4, 5,and 7 as black for a short distance at the middle. By this arrangementthe performer is directed to the rods which strike the most importantchords.

It is evident that the keys of the piano shown in Fig. 3 might bedesignated for the chords, instead of the rods.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a musical instrument, of elongated controllingdevices suitably connected with the sound-producing devices of theinstrument and spaced apart to disclose characters on a guiding chart orsheet placed back of them.

2. The combination,with a musical instrument, of parallel elongatedactuating devices operatively connected with the sound producing devicesof the instrument, and spaced apart to disclose characters on a guidingchart or sheet placed back of them.

3. The combination, with a musical instrument having a sounding boardand hammers, of parallel actuating bars operatively con nected with thesaid hammers and spaced apart to disclose guide-line sheet music placedback of them, substantially as, and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of January, A. D.1894.

JAMES DODD.

Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, F. P. DAvIs.

